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About Jay

I am a native of Huntington,
WV
and grew up in Ashland,
KY.
On May 18, 1996 I married, Michelle Slater of Raceland, KY.
Might I just say that although no one is perfect, she is perfect for me.
Michelle and I have two boys, Quint (born January 2000) and Canon (born
November 2004). There is no doubt in my mind that these two boys are the
neatest pair of kids on the planet. Both boys are prolific and award winning musicians and are even better people. I couldn't be more proud. Michelle and I knew God was calling us to make a decision for
service at the very first Experiencing God Weekend for couples at Ridgecrest in October of
1996 but I hesitated. I finally announced my call to preach at AshlandBaptistChurch
(where I had been serving as worship and youth pastor) Sunday night January 12,
1997. I went on to serve my first pastorate at FellowshipBaptistChurch
in South Shore,
KY
before being called as Pastor of First Baptist Church of Westwego, LA (suburban
New
Orleans) in November, 2002.My academic interests are in apologetics,
systematic theology and the philosophy of religion. Specifically, I enjoy
dealing with the relationship between science and religion, the problem of
evil, arguments for the existence of God, and Speech-Act theory. My
dissertation will be in the area of the philosophical question of God's
relationship to time, specifically how science interacts with the primarily
theological and philosophical question of God's relationship to time. I hold an
Associate Degree in Business, a Bachelor’s Degree in ChristianMinistry,
a Master’s of Divinity specializing in Biblical Languages and a Master’s of
Theology. I am presently working toward a Ph.D in Theology minoring in
Philosophy of Religion at the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. I also
had the wonderful experience of spending a short time studying at
both Oxford
and Cambridge
in the United
Kingdom.As a churchman my heart is pastoral work
in the local body of Christ. I am a fourth generation Baptist preacher
and teach rather long series of expository messages through entire books
of the Bible. By doing this I hope to lead God’s people into a
knowledge of good theology with an understanding of Christian Apologetics (1
Peter 3:15) enabling the average church member to better know scripture,
glorify God in how they live and to be more effective in leading their friends
and neighbors to Christ.Regarding missions and teaching outside of
the local church setting I have spoken in France,
Switzerland, the Republic of the Philippines and in outer areas of Asia as well as throughout the United
States in
evangelistic services, banquets, retreats, seminars, associational meetings,
and Bible conferences.Regarding denominational and para-church
service, I have served as the Moderator of the New Orleans Baptist Association of Churches (NOBA), as the Chairman of the Administrative Committee of NOBA; as an appointed teller to the
Southern Baptist Convention on a number of occasions; as a member of the Board of
Directors of the Global Maritime Ministry Center; as a member of the BCM
Advisory Council for Metro New Orleans; as a member of the Board of Trustees of Louisiana College; and as Past President of the New
Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary Alumni Association for the State of
Louisiana. One of the greatest privileges I was given was to be one of a handful of men chosen by Dave Miller, President of the 2017 SBC Pastor's Conference, to help him plan, organize and execute that wonderful event. That was a blessing I'll never forget. I am also a member of the inaugural class of police chaplains for Jefferson Parish
and I have been involved in SBC Disaster Relief work from New York after September 11th through
Katrina to today. Two other great privileges of mine include being named "2013-14 Volunteer of the Year" for the Patrick F/ Taylor Science and Technology Academy and as the "2015-16 Outstanding Citizen of the Year" for the City of Westwego, LA. My family gets first priority in my free time but they
are also gracious enough to allow me personal time. Some pastors spend
their relaxation time playing golf, I spend it as the drummer
for the CanonFodder Brass Band, a traditional Second Line Brass Band based in New
Orleans. My "dream" would be to one day retire
in New Orleans,
get a pilot's license and to own a "Jazz" coffee house somewhere in the
Quarter. I cannot be more proud of my wife and boys. They are the earthly focus
of my life and they bring me great joy.

A short bio for speaking engagements:

Jay, Michelle & their 2 boys live in suburban
New Orleans
where he has served as Pastor of First Baptist Church of Westwego since 2002. He
holds a Master’s of Divinity (Biblical Languages), a Master’s of Theology &
is presently working toward a Ph.D in Theology (minoring in Philosophy of
Religion) at the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. He’s spent time
studying at Oxford & Cambridge
in the UK
& his academic interests include the relationship between science &
religion, the problem of evil, arguments for the existence of God, &
Speech-Act Theory. His dissertation will be in the area of the philosophical
question of God's relationship to time, but his heart is pastoral work in the
local church. Jay is presently serving and the Administrative Team of the New Orleans
Baptist Association of churches. In his spare time he enjoys playing drums in the CanonFodder Brass Band, a traditional Second Line Brass Band based in New Orleans.
He has taught around the country as well as in France,
Switzerland, the
Republic of the Philippines and in other areas of Southeast Asia.

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Purpose

Mark Twain is reported to have said, "Never argue with someone who buys ink by the barrel." I have come to learn the gravity of Mr. Clemens' words. This site is intended to do what all blog sites do... that is to be an outlet to express my opinion. In that regard I intend to use this site to present information as well as express my thoughts on topics, including but not limited to theology, philosophy, the sciences, the Christian life, discipleship, pastoral concerns, family issues, associational and convention related issues, devotional thoughts and, from time to time, occasional commentary on New Orleans Saints football. I encourage you to join in the discussion. Let's have some fun.